(ו) אַתָּה־ה֣וּא ה' לְבַדֶּ֒ךָ֒ (את) [אַתָּ֣ה] עָשִׂ֡יתָ אֶֽת־הַשָּׁמַ֩יִם֩ שְׁמֵ֨י הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וְכׇל־צְבָאָ֗ם הָאָ֜רֶץ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ הַיַּמִּים֙ וְכׇל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּהֶ֔ם וְאַתָּ֖ה מְחַיֶּ֣ה אֶת־כֻּלָּ֑ם וּצְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לְךָ֥ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִֽים׃ (ז) אַתָּה־הוּא֙ ה' הָאֱלֹקִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּאַבְרָ֔ם וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ שְּׁמ֖וֹ אַבְרָהָֽם׃ (ח) וּמָצָ֣אתָ אֶת־לְבָבוֹ֮ נֶאֱמָ֣ן לְפָנֶ֒יךָ֒ וְכָר֨וֹת עִמּ֜וֹ הַבְּרִ֗ית לָתֵ֡ת אֶת־אֶ֩רֶץ֩ הַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י הַחִתִּ֜י הָאֱמֹרִ֧י וְהַפְּרִזִּ֛י וְהַיְבוּסִ֥י וְהַגִּרְגָּשִׁ֖י לָתֵ֣ת לְזַרְע֑וֹ וַתָּ֙קֶם֙ אֶת־דְּבָרֶ֔יךָ כִּ֥י צַדִּ֖יק אָֽתָּה׃ (ט) וַתֵּ֛רֶא אֶת־עֳנִ֥י אֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־זַעֲקָתָ֥ם שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ עַל־יַם־סֽוּף׃ (י) וַ֠תִּתֵּ֠ן אֹתֹ֨ת וּמֹֽפְתִ֜ים בְּפַרְעֹ֤ה וּבְכׇל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וּבְכׇל־עַ֣ם אַרְצ֔וֹ כִּ֣י יָדַ֔עְתָּ כִּ֥י הֵזִ֖ידוּ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַתַּֽעַשׂ־לְךָ֥ שֵׁ֖ם כְּהַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (יא) וְהַיָּם֙ בָּקַ֣עְתָּ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּֽעַבְר֥וּ בְתוֹךְ־הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְֽאֶת־רֹ֨דְפֵיהֶ֜ם הִשְׁלַ֧כְתָּ בִמְצוֹלֹ֛ת כְּמוֹ־אֶ֖בֶן בְּמַ֥יִם עַזִּֽים׃
(6) “You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all their host, the earth and everything upon it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive, and the host of heaven prostrate themselves before You. (7) You are the LORD God, who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and changed his name to Abraham. (8) Finding his heart true to You, You made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite—to give it to his descendants. And You kept Your word, for You are righteous. (9) You took note of our fathers’ affliction in Egypt, and heard their cry at the Sea of Reeds. (10) You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all the people of his land, for You knew that they acted presumptuously toward them. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. (11) You split the sea before them; they passed through the sea on dry land, but You threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into the raging waters.
Reuven Hammer, Or Hadash Siddur Commentary
Three Songs of Praise
Over the centuries three songs of praise have been added to the original readings from the Book of Psalms. The first is a blessing uttered by David; the second is a proclamation from the Book of Nehemiah; and the third is the magnificent Song of the Sea. These have been arranged artfully so that one leads into the other. We begin with the praise of God in David's last address as he spoke to those who contributed toward the future building of the Temple. We continue with praise and an historical survey from Abraham to the parting of the Sea, which was part of the ceremony of the acceptance of the Torah as our binding law held by Ezra and Nehemiah in Jerusalem in 444 BCE. We conclude with the chanting of the song of praise and thanksgiving sung by Israel at the time of its salvation. In Jewish tradition, the Song of the Sea has always been considered the song par excellence which represents the greatest possible praise of God. Its poetry is unrivaled in the Torah. No wonder it eventually took its place daily as the climax of our biblical readings that both voice our appreciation of the works of God in nature and history and helps us to prepare our minds and hearts for the morning worship service itself.
Reuven Hammer, Or Hadash Siddur Commentary
Naming him Abraham
When Abram was 99 years old, God established the covenant with him, promising him that he would be the father of many nations and that his offspring would inherit the land of Canaan. The letter ה -- a letter from the divine Name -- was then added to the names of Abram (Avram) and Sarai, who became Abraham (Avraham) and Sarah. See Genesis 17:1-6.
Abraham Isaac Kook, Siddur Lev Shalem pg 142
Changed His Name to Abraham
According to the Babylonian Talmud (Berakhot 13a), Abraham's name was changed because "in the beginning, he was a leader of Aram [ie: av ram], and at the end, he was a leader of the whole world [avraham=av hamon, father of multitudes, Genesis 17:15]." The ancient rabbis taught that except when directly quoting Scripture, it is expressly forbidden to refer to Abraham by his former name.
This is the import of God's directive to change "Abram," which signifies leadership of the single nation of Aram, to "Abraham," father of a multitude of nations. God was saying to Abraham, "I have raised you beyond this norm of nationalism, which is but a convention and not true justice. Your heart should not be devoted exclusively to the benefit of Aram, but rather seek the peace of all God's creations. Seek out the well-being of all." Thus, "one who calls Abraham, 'Abram,' transgresses." By doing so, one causes Israel to regress to a state of nationalism, which is no more than a collective form of egoism, and thus a transgression.
Siddur Lev Shalem, Commentary
You, Adonai alone
This prayer was recited in the Second Temple when the people, returning from exile, rededicated themselves under the guidance of Ezra and Nehemiah. With its recitation, each morning's prayer is an act of rededication.
Marc Brettler, My People's Prayerbook
"You alone are Adonai... and the heavenly hosts bow down to You" Neh. 9:6-11, which was recited after Sukkot in the post-exilic community. Although we think of Nehemiah as a peripheral book, it is closer in time to the individual who inserted it here and thus reflects his theology more closely than many of the earlier, "classical" sections of the Bible. It follows nicely from the prior prayer because in context (according to Neh. 9:5) the Levites recited this prayer, using the root b.r.k, "to bless." It also introduces the next prayers nicely (Nehemiah's recollection of Israel's sacred history and the Song of the Sea), since it introduces God's acts in history, a theme that is largely absent from Psalms 145-150. From here to the end of the Song of the Sea, we get a balance to the psalms by emphasizing not just God's general greatness and his creative majesty but his salvation of Israel specifically. The idea of God as the sole God, whom all must worship, becomes particularly predominant in late biblical texts, such as this one. By contrast, Deut. 4:19, for instance, mentions astral deities that God gave other nations to worship ("When you look up to the sky and behold the sun and the moon and the stars, the whole heavenly host, you must not be lured into bowing down to them or serving them. These the Lord your God allotted to other peoples"). Nevertheless, the heavenly hosts remain as angels of sorts. In contrast to later (especially Maimonidean) Judaism, such "beings" are not understood as interfering with monotheism.
Mark Brettler, My People's Prayerbook
You are Adonai... who chose Abram... You fulfilled your word, for You are righteous" The depiction of Abraham largely follows the narrative of Genesis, with one significant exception: here, the covenant occurs only after God found Abraham's heart to be true, whereas in Genesis, it is "a covenant of grace," that is, an act of unexplained grace. Like the rabbinic tradition that follows, Nehemiah wonders why Abraham was chosen and provides a text with an appropriate answer.
Marc Brettler, My People's Prayerbook
"You saw the poverty... into mighty waters" A summary of the Exodus, following traditions from the Book of Exodus and from various psalms. The depiction of Abraham and the Exodus are placed in the context of a hymn. However, these events are not mentioned here merely as a matter of historical recollection; they have an implicit element of petition as well, as God is asked to repeat these salvific activities.